Twitter outcry at Geraldo Rivera’s ‘hoodie is to blame’ comment

What is to blame for Trayvon Martin’s death? According to Geraldo Rivera, a hoodie. Rivera, host of Fox News Channel’s “Geraldo at Large,” claimed that George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot and killed the 17-year-old, unarmed Martin, was only partially responsible for the tragedy.

“I am urging the parents of black and Latino youngsters particularly to not let their children go out wearing hoodies. I think the hoodie is as much responsible for Trayvon Martin’s death as George Zimmerman was,” Rivera said on Fox News early Friday morning.

Rivera said that wearing a hoodie makes black and Latino kids look like gangsters, and gives the impression that they are up to no good. He continued, “I’ll bet you money that if he didn’t have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn’t have responded in that violent and aggressive way,” Rivera said.

Unsurprisingly, Rivera’s comments have sparked an uproar in the Twitter-sphere.

Many users simply highlight the ridiculous nature of Rivera’s comments in their tweets.

@Rschooley: Geraldo puts all Target employees on notice. “Wear a target on your chest, what do you expect?”